Budget Stress

cmcmore

So my fiance and I started detailing out the budget for the wedding. And I am so scared we will not have enough money. Have any of you got any really great ideas on ways to save on our wedding day? I have read all the common articles about it so i am looking for out of the box things. Like "we saved money on our food by not ordering on the catering menu." We are only having 50 or 60 people you would think it would not be that much! Ugh I am stressing.

somethingsweeting

I had the same freak out like ten times! Don't worry, it'll all work out.A couple of things that worked for us:- negotiate! You can get vendors to be competitive with each other and get a better price. If one comparable vendor offers you a better price, see if the one you like will price-match. And ask! What deals they can do for you. Most of them have some room for negotiating.- be flexible. Fridays and Sundays are cheaper. Week days and mornings can be even better.- do it yourself! We were able to save a huge bundle by making our invites and flowers ourselves. It can take a lot of time and frustration, but you'll save a lot and it'll be very personal.- Use your friends! Look at who's talented and can help out. We had paper gifted to us that we used for invites, friends donated photography, a relative provide ceremony music, and we had a friend with an ipod and speakers DJ and MC for us. It was great to have our loved ones so personally involved and cut expenses.- Bargain shop. We skipped tuxes for the guys and found really awesome deals on suits at the outlet malls and Kohls (of all places). We found all our centerpieces on sale at Marshalls and used tons of Michaels/Hobby Lobby 40% off coupons for things like candles and favor bags. We got our favors at Walmart!Most of all, take a deep breath. It all works out and everything you want, there's probably a way to do it cheaper. Take it step by step. Good luck!

karenchris2009

I've been in the exact spot you are in, as well. We are paying for our wedding ourselves and we both work for non-profits. It gets stressful!I loved the ideas already presented (we are doing a lot of that too), but I have found that figuring out what you want early helps find better deals. For example, I quite often look on craigslist (and have gotten a lot of stuff for the wedding) for good prices. If you can picture things, it's also helpful when perusing the clearance stuff. My FI thought I was crazy for already having all the little things picked  10 months out, but I got some really good deals (and, if you can't find good prices early, you can always get it closer to your wedding at cost).I love crafts personalizing everything, so we are making a lot of things. We are about to start doing the invites. I bought blank card stock at Target for $10, had them printed at FedEx/Kinko's for $4, and got paper to decorate for $11. We are saving hundreds of dollars doing that ourselves. We are also making our own favors, bridal party gifts, and thank yous. My best advice is just to be creative. Even though there are "norms" for weddings, it doesn't mean you have to follow all of them.

sarainaustin

1) Check with restaurants for catering.  They don't have to pay their rent with their catering income, so they can usually charge less than traditional venues.  I've looked around, and it's totally true!  (my sisters planner gave her this info when she was getting married... and she gave me the same info... still holds true a year and a half later).2) Centerpieces... we've considered silk flowers for centerpieces, but I'm concerned about them looking "Fake" so we're thinking about doing submerged flowers so no one will know that they're fake.3) chapel dulcinea... it's free!  And can hold that amount of people for a standing ceremony.  plus, it's beautiful!Whatever you do... dont' skimp on the photographer... those will ALWAYS be with you!  The other stuff is just "Frosting"

rjpaulsen

Budget can definitely be a stressful element.  Although my parents are paying for the wedding, I am still aware of the cost and don't want to go overboard.  A few things to consider: - A dressmaker is sewing my dress at a substantially lower cost than I would have paid for a designer dress.  It's also exactly what I want and fits perfectly (so no expensive alterations)- I am doing my own flowers and did a bunch of research online for ideas (there is plenty of stuff out there)- Think about your decor.  There are loads of websites that allow you to buy things cheaper.  Brides here are really helpful for those ideas- Consider your guest list.  You don't have to invite everyone you can think of.  It can be a more intimate event and maybe just throw a little party another time- You might want to buy your own alcohol if you location allows it.  And maybe just go with wine, beer and even champagne